31 TRIO SŌRA In 1886, on the verge of old age, Brahms composed his last trio, which came after his four symphonies, the two piano concertos and the Violin Concerto. This work, op.101, is even shorter than op.87. Angèle: After the earlier monumental works comes this trio, which despite its brevity, with its digest of emotions, gives us the impression of being gigantic. In its very concise writing, everything takes on great intensity. The transitions between themes are much shorter. Its discourse is straightforward. It gets straight to the point. Pauline: This trio has a grandeur, an eloquence about it. We meet here once more the ardour of Brahms. Its sombre key of C minor conceals an underlying fire. You have to play the first movement almost without breathing, so powerful is the tension. Fanny: It presents a remarkable combination of condensed, highly intellectual writing and music inspired by folklore: here Brahms seems to be paying homage to Viennese waltzes, the driving rhythms of the csárdas, the nostalgia of the all’ungarese themes and the simplicity of folk tunes, all skilfully interwoven. Also unusual is that the Presto non assai lacks the contrasting, highly lyrical central episode typical of the preceding scherzos. There’s nowhere you can catch your breath, no dreamy melodies. For me, it’s a dance of shadows.
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